Ushio's Pad

Events and other gossip!

2012-01-20T11:16:00.003Z

Just a quick run-down of what events I should be attending over the next few months:

Feb 12th - London Anime Con Protip: It's also running on the 11th, but I'm only there for the Sunday.

Feb 25-6th - London Super Comic Convention I shall be sharing a table with the wonderful Tammy!

Mar 31st + Apr 1st - MCM Expo Birmingham Yes I am finally escaping the realms of London to attend more comic events. Exciting! :D

May 25-7th - MCM Expo London Which was virtually a given considering it's so damn cool. ^_^

I mentioned some of this in the last post, but there'll certainly be some new comics appearing at these events (I hope anyway!). I'm nearing the halfway point of one comic, so expect an announcement sometime within the next few weeks at the very least... ;-)

2012 is here!

2012-01-05T21:10:00.001Z

It's the beginning of a new year, so perhaps a good time to talk about my plans for the next 300-or-so days. I haven't really anything to show, so this is more a check in to show I'm still active and busy doing, you know... stuff.

I'm working on NEW THINGS! The above pencil sketch is from one of two comics I'm drawing at the moment. I hope one will appear quite soon and the other is aimed squarely at London's May Expo. There's nothing else to share right now until things are nearer completion (and neither are currently anywhere near that stage!). The targets I've set myself are fairly insane and work-intensive so if I pull everything off as planned I'll be psychotically happy. Please don't hate me too much if I end up crashing an burning before then...

In terms of current/older titles I consider Japanofail to be essentially a completed project. Its spirit will certaintly live on in future comics as my sense of humour is fairly consistent in its depravity. ;D Beholder of the Eye should conclude this year too, but I want to level up working on current comics before going all out for the finale. I have an ending in mind so please bear with me while I try and make it epic and violent and awesome.

Thanks it for now, will update as things happen! ^_^

London Gaming Con - this weekend!

2011-11-28T22:24:00.004Z

Just a quick note to say that I will be attending the London Gaming Con for both days this very weekend! It might not be a comic event, but there'll certainly be an otaku-vibe in the hall so it should be a good event for checking out comics, artwork and merchandise alongside all the gaming content.

This time I'll be sharing a table with the amazing Yuri Kore who will be there with her wares. Come say hi! :-)

October MCM Expo Complete!

2011-10-31T21:34:00.002Z

The event ended yesterday and I'm feeling pretty drained right now - but the event went well! ^_^

It was really busy (ignore the photo for that - it was taken well before opening) and it was nice to see both new returning faces. Japanofail continued its reign as my most popular comic, but Beholder of the Eye put in a pretty respectable performance. Thanks for popping by guys and if you went away with one of my comics I hope you enjoyed it!

That's it for this year! The next event I'm attending is the London Anime Con in February and will keep an eye out for other events for the rest of 2012 as well. :-) Time to hibernate and start thinking about what comics to make next - will keep you posted!

MCM London Expo this weekend!

2011-10-25T20:20:00.005+01:00

We're just a few days away from the event now, so thought a general run through of what to expect from my table on the day.

Firstly is that I have two new comics out on the day. More hacking and slashing with issue 4 of Beholder of the Eye and also a brand spanking new issue of Japanofail.

I still have a complete range of comics on the table, so will be offering multi-buy bundle deals for those who fancy stocking up on a few of my comics. ;-)

I will be there all 3 days of the event (remember entrance on Friday is only for those with full weekend tickets), so please feel free to come say hi. The guys at the comic village have released a map of where to find artists on the day (I've marked my location below) - hope to see you all soon!

New things!

2011-10-22T13:35:00.002+01:00

Just a quick note to say I've got a few new badge designs in circulation that will be appearing at London Expo NEXT WEEKEND! (Not long now!)

A weird wibbly monster is accompanied badges of WIN and FAIL!

They'll be appearing along with my older designs (of which I have replenished the stock of pandas!) at 50p each or 3 for £1.

1 week to go - hope to see people there! ^_^

Japanofail 5

2011-10-05T19:47:00.003+01:00

Here it is - the fifth issue of Japanofail is done and dusted! Yet more instances of geek-related fail with perhaps a slightly more twisted streak. That said, if you've come this far I doubt there's much that can shock you now!

The comics came in from the printer this afternoon and are good to go for Expo at the end of the month, and is now available on the shop! :-)

Please look out for it!

Japanofail relaunch!

2011-09-22T14:20:00.003+01:00

Yep, it's been a while since Japanofail ground to a halt in webcomic form, so I just decided to relaunch it over at smackjeeves.

The first run on drunkduck only got as far as the end of issue 2, so there's plenty of fuel in the tank for updates. I'll be uploading all the previous stuff fairly rapidly, but then intend to resume normal services on both accounts at a more regular pace.

Please check it out! :-)

Bit of other news here as well: I'm currently working on issue 5 of Japanofail as well. So far it's on course for Expo next month, so will update again once I'm nearer completion. ;-)

Beholder of the Eye 4 - Photos

2011-09-05T19:08:00.005+01:00

This just came in the post, so thought it might be nice to share some photos. As I have them, they are now fully available on the shop and are 100% for appearing at future comic events.

Beholder of the Eye 4 is complete!

2011-08-27T14:15:00.004+01:00

This was sent out to the printers last night, so hopefully over the next week or so I should have these soon! It's my biggest comic yet (48 pages) and contains lots of drama, action and other general craziness. :-)

I've booked a table for London Expo, so this are definitely going to be making an appearance. It is also available on my shop for those who can't make that event. Please look out for it! :D

Byrde Chapter 2

2011-08-22T20:23:00.002+01:00

The concluding part to Byrde has just been printed in issue 4 of Non-Repro. It's a silly little story that was a lot of fun to draw about a hungry bird who's desperate for some food. Like before, it is accompanied by a range of other cool comics.

Please check it out. It is available to buy here now and at future coimc events.

Beholder of the Eye 4 is coming!

2011-08-15T00:21:00.002+01:00

Just wanting to start a little hype for Beholder of the Eye 4 as I'm getting toward the end of it now. It's going to be a thicker comic - 42 pages - making it my longest one yet! :-O

I've been working hard on this, so please look forward to it as it should be ready in the next month or so. :-)

July London Anime Con - Complete!

2011-08-03T12:39:00.002+01:00

So the London Anime Con went down last weekend... and it was really good!

It was one of my best days EVER for selling comics as many people were checking out my comics and buying multiple comics as opposed to single issues. o_0; You guys are awesome and I really hope you enjoyed what you went home with. I feel encouraged to work harder and get some new comics out there as soon as I can! (as laways I have plans...)

Thanks goes to Kam of CityAsia who is a far better salesman than me, encouraging people to browse my comics and help spread the word. It's totally worth checking out his website as alongside a sturdy range of Japanese import goods they also stock independant designer toys as well!

I'll be busy the next couple of months working on some new things. If you're attending Ayacon I'll be around if you want to say hi. I've not got a dealer's table but will most likely have a couple comics to hand for showing in the Artist's Alley. ;-) Hope to see you there!

Will update again when there's news to be told!

Summer events.

2011-07-02T13:45:00.002+01:00

Time for a general update as I'll be attending a couple events over the summer. At the end of July I'll be having a table at the London Anime Con. This'll be my second time in a row attending so if this keeps up it'll become a regular thing. So basically if you missed out on Expo you'll get another chance this month! Be aware that while the event runs for 2 days, (30-31st July), I'll only be there for sunday 31st only! The Saturday's given to the merchandise dealers, while the small press crew tag in for the second day. It's a lively event, so is worth checking out!

Next up is Ayacon which is running 19th-21st August. I won't have a table in the dealers room and will mainly be attending as a regular punter, however there will be an artists alley which people can drop in/out of at will so I intend to hang out there whenever I need a breather. I rarely go outside of London events so this is a chance to see some lesser spotted comics! I can only carry a few thing with me, so if anyone has any requests for specific titles feel free to drop me a line either here or on twitter.

That's it for now. I hope to get a spot at London Expo again in October, but nothing's confirmed yet. Will update again as and when things happen!

May London Expo 2011 - Complete!

2011-05-31T22:52:00.002+01:00

The event ended on Sunday, and I'm uploading this on Tuesday night - this is how intense the event was! On Saturday, we were joined by Anna who filled the table with infinitely shiny comics and artwork. (I should've taken a picture when she was there...)

It was a really fun event this time and a lot of cool people were around. Many people who dropped by the table were those coming back after having read my comics from earlier events. That people are returning to read more of my work is a true honour. Thanks you all so much - I'll work hard on new things for you!

The most popular comic by far was the new Japanofail 4 - which sold pretty much the same as all my other comics put together! o_o;

So that's Expo done with for now - the next event up is London Anime Con which will be my second time exhibiting there in a row. I doubt there'll be anything new ready for that event, but if you missed out this time either there or my shop is the place to go!

I'm working on a couple different comics at the moment, but nothing ready for showing to the world just yet. It'll keep me ticking over for the next few months at least. ^_^

London Expo May 2011!

2011-05-24T20:35:00.004+01:00

Okay, so London Expo is just a couple of days away now so it's time for a quick summary just before the chaos starts.

I'll be there on all three days, so if you went and bought a full weekend pass you can find me either then, or at any other time when the event kicks off proper for Saturday and Sunday.

This time my table will be shared with the awesome and sparkling Anna Fitzpatrick of Between Worlds fame - come say hi!

All of my comics are still available for checking out including anthologies Six and Till the Sun Grows Cold. Japanofail 4 and Beholder of the Eye 3 (preview above) are making their debut so even if you're familliar with my work there's still new things to see! Also worth a visit are the guys at NonRepro who now have two of my comics in print (found in issue 3 and their brand spanking new Nami Anthology - but all their stuff is worth a look!).

So that's it for now I guess - see you on the other side!

New Comic! A Stormy Date

2011-05-03T18:50:00.004+01:00

My entry to last year Manga Jiman competition 'A Stormy Date' has been printed in a special edition of Non-Repro. My comic's about 8 pages long, and is one of many found within the book.

I'm looking forward to getting a copy at the London Expo at the end of this month as there' a lot of cool comics in there (you may also spot a couple of familiar faces from last year's Till the Sun Grows Cold ^_^). If you can't make it to the event, the book is being made available on their shop here. Please check it out!

A quick preview:

Beholder of the Eye 3!

2011-04-20T15:39:00.005+01:00

There's been a fair gap between issues but issue 3 of Beholder of the Eye is here and good to go!

Carrying on immediately after the end of issue 2 Chloe and Luthor are on the run after their operations are discovered. Taking stock and trying to decide what to do next, they find themselves sucked into a path of no return...

Available at events (London Expo next month!) and at my shop!

Japanofail Issue 4!

2011-04-13T14:26:00.006+01:00

Here it is - the super shiny 4th issue of Japanofail has arrived! ^_^

In terms of content, the same rules apply, but this time it's slightly bigger at 28 pages and is therefore filled with more fail than ever before! Price will be £2.50 at events (London Expo next month will be its first appearance), and a little more online once it's been added. Please look forward to it!
The comic is available from my shop! ^_^

Portfolio Site

2011-04-11T15:16:00.002+01:00

I just recently (about 30 seconds again fact) launched a portfolio site for my work. I don't have a deviantart account, and this place is more for news and stuff, so thought it an idea to have a proper place to collect some of my artwork.

It's a little small at the moment, but intend to build on it over time. If you want to check it out, you can find it on this link:

Ushio Art

The Suspense!

2011-04-08T20:40:00.003+01:00

Okay, we're getting pretty close to new comics arriving now. I'm a bit fidgety waiting for the finals copies to show up so in the meantime will start to leak info. First up is Beholder of the Eye 3 which will look something like this:

Bit of a departure from the usual shenanigans, but suits the general tone of the comic imo. It's more of a character-driven issue this time before it heads back into the fray.

Alongside that, I'm also waiting for this:

Yes! Japanofail 4 is done! XD I had a spare week off work and a bunch of ideas to use so was able to run through this pretty quickly.

Both comics are coming from different printers. Which will arrive first? Hopefully I'll have them in the next week or so and once they're with me I'll start giving more as well as add them to the shop. Not long now, and currently well in time for Expo next month! ^_^

More updates

2011-03-29T17:16:00.005+01:00

Just a few things:

- Beholder of the Eye 3 is complete! Has been for a while actually, just a case of waiting for the hardcopies to arrive and then I can announce it properly. ^_^ I took some risks with it (when don't I? haha) so am hoping it comes out well!

- I'm currently working on Japanofail 4, which is coming on pretty well. I'm going all out and it's well over halfway done already. Just a matter on time really but it's looking good for appearing at London Expo as well.

- I've signed up for a table at the London Anime Con once again. I'll have a table on the Sunday only as this is the day when all the artists come in.

That's it for now! ^_^

New Comic! Byrde

2011-03-15T20:20:00.003Z

Just out last weekend was Issue 3 of Non-Repro, a small press magazine that prints short comics from various creators - and I've got a comic in it! :-D

Byrde is a non-dialogue comic about a hungry bird who's out hunting for food. It's the first of two parts and a little bit of fun. There are several other comics and articles in the mag, so you get a lot of bang for your buck. Please check it out here:

Non-Repro Shop

London Comic & Small Press Expo - Complete!

2011-03-12T21:32:00.003Z

Got back from this a little earlier today. It was only the first time this event was run and I thought it went pretty well. It's a nice, bright and spacious venue with a friendly atmosphere that lasted throughout the day. It was good to be able to talk to people a bit more than what I'm normally able, which was a definite plus. ^_^

I had actually had a new comic appearing at this event. I'm informed it will be available online very soon so will update in a couple of days about that. Stay tuned!

Six Anthology - Reviewed!

2011-03-08T22:35:00.004Z

Just a quick post to link to a review of the Six Anthology. I've never had a title reviewed publicly before, but the comments that are made are really encouraging. Check out the review here.

I'd recommend keeping an eye on this site as it's proving itself to be a bit of a stronghold for supporting and promoting local artists. So if you want to keep track of some of the titles appearing on the UK scene, this is a good place to check out! ^_^

Progress...

2011-02-28T20:41:00.003Z

Just a short post on general progress. Beholder of the Eye 3 is nearly there. All but one of the pages are inked and I'm now filling in general gaps, tones and trying to get things finished off. Not got a front cover sorted either, so still a little more to go!

It's the London Comic and Small Press Expo in a couple weeks time as well! Sorry to say the new comic won't be done in time for it, but it'll a cert for London Expo!

Got one or two more tricks up my sleeve over the next couple of months as well - will announce as and when things are in stone! ^_^

London Anime Con - Complete!

2011-02-06T22:07:00.002Z

Just got back from this and it went okay. Well, actually I can never tell how these things go as I'm always a bundle of overtiredness and nerves. But I wasn't punched or anything so it must've been fine! XD

Next Event: London Comic and Small Press Expo! About a month to go. Will try and get some sleep by then. ;-)

Also in unrelated news I've started a manga reviewing blog for fun. It won't be anything too in-depth really, but for the general scoop on a wide/weird range of titles, I might land on something you fancy.

Events - pimp special!

2011-01-19T21:27:00.005Z

Hey ho!

So we're halfway through January and happenings are already underway as events are already looming on the horizon!

In a couple weeks is the London Anime Con which is running on the 5-6h February. Sunday is the artists' day, so I'll be there with a table of comics then. All you London folks please feel free to drop by! ^_^

I've also just registered a table for May London Expo this year! XD Quite a way to go until this one, but it's nice to know I'm good for a table so early in advance as it's something to aim for when working on comics.

In between these events nestle the London Comic & Small Press Expo on 12th March. This is a new event running for the first time this year, so it will be interesting to see what it's like!

Sorry that all of these events are London-based, but if you can't make it and are interested the shop is in full working order!

That's it for events, so what about the comics? There's nothing I can show really at the moment, but I'm working properly on Beholder of the Eye 3 right now. The pencils are finished and I recently started inking it, so fingers crossed it will be making an appearence over the next couple of months. I've also got a couple of other *finished* mini comics that have been sent out to be published elsewhere, and so will update once things are looking all shiny and official.

So all in all, the events are set with more news to come once the new comics are ready! ^_^

Shop updated!

2011-01-06T22:26:00.002Z

Yep, I've gone and updated my comics shop and have added both the Six anthology and Japanofail 3 to the site. If you're interested, please go to:

http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

All the older titles are still on there as well, so you'll have to scroll down to see the newer stuff. ^_^

Level 2010 complete! New mission start!

2011-01-01T22:14:00.003Z

There's been an art meme doing the rounds about the drawing you did in 2010, so I thought I'd give it a go. ^_^ I've done quite a lot of stuff looking back, but as ever there are regrets and many things I'd like to improve on. No shortcuts here - I just gotta keep working and trying harder!

I suppose I've got no massive aims for 2011, just to keep doing my best... just more so! XD Anyhoo, enough looking at the past - time to move on! ^__^

Hibernation

2010-12-21T17:46:00.002Z

No big news, just a general update. :-)

I'm currently working on the pencils to Beholder of the Eye 3, so those who've been waiting to see what happens next to Chloe, Luthor and everyone else will (hopefully) be happy to hear that more is on the way. Unless things go off at a complete tangent, this marks about the halfway point to the story! :-o

Progress is also being made on one or two other projects, but until things are more confirmed there's not much else for me to say at this point... (so sneaky! XD)

I'm going into hiding from all the cold and snow of the winter, and will try and get some new things sorted that will come out next year. Here's hoping it all comes out well! ^_^

London Expo October 2010 Complete!

2010-11-01T23:57:00.002Z

The London Expo finished yesterday and it was a lot of fun! I was still pretty clueless for much of it, but that's pretty much par for the course, lol. ^^;

Thanks to everyone who dropped by. The new anthology went down well and Japanofail was as popular as always! ^_^

It's looking as though my next comic will be Beholder of the Eye 3 (though I've barely started it), so fingers crossed for its appearence at the next Expo! Moar!

Expo this weekend!

2010-10-25T16:00:00.002+01:00

Yes the Expo is nearly upon us once more, and everything's ready and good to go! ^_^

Just a quick review of everything on the table you know what to expect:

Six - the new anthology, it's looking awesome! £5

Japanofail 1-3 - issue 3 is making its Expo debut! £2 each

Beholder of the Eye 1+2 - being moody and stuff £2 for #1 and £2.50 for #2

D.R.U.N.K. - random violence for teh lulz: £2

Till the Sun Goes Cold - anthology about the sun: £3.50

Also a couple bits of merchandise! :-O

Badges - if I got the proportions right, the image above is actual size! 50p for 1, £1 for 3 for £1.50 for all 5!

Mini prints - 30p for 1 or 50p for both. (only 2 designs after all ^_^)

I'll also be sharing the table with the awesome Tammy from Dream Tripper so please feel free to check out everything on the table! ^_^ Expo's running for 2 and a half days this year, and we will be attending for the entire run of the show - we're ready! Hope to see some of you there! :D

Six is here!

2010-10-23T17:34:00.004+01:00

Look what's arrived! ^_^

There was a time I didn't think these would show up in time for Expo, but they're here safe and sound and ready to go!

Initial responses have been really positive, so if you fancy yourself a copy come and check it out!

£5 for 84 pages of comic goodness. ^_^

It's available online here:

http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

New book! Six!

2010-10-19T21:00:00.004+01:00

6 comics by 6 artists - hence Six!

80-odd pages of comics of a wide range of styles. From horror to comedy with no limits on subject matter, there's something for everyone.

The awesome artist line-up in order of appearance (click the links to explore their work):
O G Roach
Rebecca Burgess
Pinax
Ushio (me! XD)
Sammy Borras
Kaiki

This should be on my table at Expo at the end of the month - so please look out for it! Over the next few weeks I'll try and get it available online for those interested who can't make it. ^_^

This is now available online here: http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/ Woot! XD

General Update

2010-09-20T22:48:00.004+01:00

I like to update at least once a month, so I feel the need to write about what's going on these days.

Next month is LONDON EXPO! :D It's a few weeks to go and things are starting to heat up. I'll have lots of copies of Japanofail 3 for people to get ahold of (as well as everything else ;-) ) but I also have plans for something NEW as well!

I'm coming toward the end of making a new anthology! ^_^ Till the Sun Grows Old was a Jiman-based anthology, whereas this will be totally unrelated and have its own independant stance. A couple of the comics that will be in the book have already done the rounds on the internet, and a couple will be making their debut in the book. I don't want to spill the beans too early, but I can at least say it's going to be a real mix of content and styles. ;-)

So please look forward to a proper announcement sometime next month when I'll give full details.

(now all I need to do is design the cover >_>;)

In other areas, the Manga Jiman competition is still in full swing. If you're thinking of entering then the theme is nami/waves and the deadline is 1st November. So far I've pencilled my entry, and will think about inking it once I've gotten the anthology completed. Entries have to be kept private until after the results are announced, but much like my last attempt I'm sure it'll work its way out into print in the long run. ;-) Good luck to anyone entering - do your best! XD

I've gone and said all this publically now, so I need to make sure it gets done for sure, lol! :-O

New Event!

2010-08-27T16:57:00.002+01:00

Just a quick note to say I've booked a space at a new comic event that will be running in March next year. The London Comic and Small Press Expo will be at Goldsmiths University on 12th March 2011. My spot is booked on table 30 so am confirmed for the event. Of course it's a long way off yet, so will probably post a reminder much closer to the time.

Please check out:
http://www.thefallenangel.co.uk/spexpo/london.htm

Of course next up is the London Expo in October, official word on attendees in the Comic Village (including me, lol! ^_^) have starting appearing on there, so it's worth keeping an eye on.

More news as and when it happens!

Japanofail Issue 3!

2010-08-20T11:43:00.005+01:00

Just arriving today is issue 3 of Japanofail! Had a bit of fun with this one and took a couple risks with new styles of content. That said the key themes of fail is still the same! XD I hope people enjoy it if they check it out! :3

24 pages of fail for £2. I will be attending Comic Comkiet this Sunday (so it's lucky the comics arrived in time for that), otherwise I will be at the London Expo at the end of October. At some point I'll try and update the shop in case anybody can't make it to events but still wants it (I might have something else up my sleeve in time for Expo so may hold back and do one big update instead).

Cheers guys! ^_^

The comic is now avaiable online here:

http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

Moar events! :3

2010-07-25T22:52:00.003+01:00

The London Film and Comic Con at Earl's Court has been and gone. It was all very sci-fi and it was nice to see a few new faces. Thanks to anyone who stopped by, I hope you enjoyed reading! ^_^

There's no rest for the wicked, so the next event is next month! It's too quick! o_0; Comica Comiket is going ahead one again. I attended for the first time last October at the ICA gallery. This time it will be at the PumpHouse Gallery in London on August 22nd. It's a Sunday afternoon, so there's time to both sleep in for the morning and still get your comic fix! XD

Can't remember whether it was metioned before or not, but I'm on the list for attending London Expo in October. It's a while away yet, but am hoping to have some *new* material by that point. Stay tuned! ^_^

Events!

2010-07-05T22:52:00.002+01:00

Just as quick note to say I'll be attending the London Film and Comic Convention at Earl's Court, London, this month. All day both days - 17-18th July. Visit for more info:

http://www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/

I've never been to this event before, either selling comics or as punter, so have no idea what's going to go down. It promises to be fun! ^_^

I've got plans for attending a couple more events, watch this space. I'm also trying to make some progress on my next comic...

Shop!

2010-06-16T18:46:00.002+01:00

It's new, improved, and has a proper home and everything.

Getting my comics properly available online has been a long time coming, but now if you ever feel the urge to pick up one of my titles, this is the place:

http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

It's got everything I've ever self-published and is totally up to date. No longer do you need to drag yourself out to an event to find them! Please feel free to check it out. If you want to know more about some of the titles first, then there are links to each of them on the right side of this blog. Cheers! ^_^

May Expo 2010 is complete!

2010-06-05T17:54:00.002+01:00

So it all went down last weekend, and I've still to recover properly from it! =_=;

It was a lot of fun, probably the most fun I've had at an Expo since I started doing comics. The cost of energy, sleep depravation and general exhaustion was well worth it. I a lot of new people, but also a fair few who I'd met before and had come back for more of my comics. Thanks so much guys, I'll try to make the next ones even better! I'm doing my best to remember everyone, but alas the memory is already fading (along with the bruises, lol).

This time our table was shared with the wonderful Tammy Taylor who was selling her comics Microwavable Fox and Parafect and other bits. If you missed her this time I trust she'll be at other events in the future, check out her stuff!

Quite a few of my newest comics found their way into the hands of readers - I hope you enjoyed them. Japanofail, as always, came top of the sales chart. It seems to be what people want most and I'll do my best to oblige for next time. ^_^

Speaking of next time, I'm hearing that the next London Expo will be a bigger event, opening a day early! 0_0 Six months to go for an even biger dose of geeky goodness! XD

Stickers round 2! XD

2010-05-19T02:42:00.002+01:00

Just a quick note to say I'm once again a part of the Dino-Saw-Us event. It debuted at The Thing a couple of months ago, and the feedback was positive enough for the guys to run it again at the Expo!

Lookee here for more info:
http://dinosawus.blogspot.com/

Basically I've still got lots of stickers to give out from last time, so if you get ahlold of on of the passports (or even if not), feel free to pop over and get a sticker!:3

10 days to go!

New Book - Till The Sun Grows Cold

2010-05-13T18:38:00.003+01:00

Ready for sale at this month's London Expo, Till the Sun Grows Cold is a collaboration between a few fellow artists who entered last year's Jiman competition. It's saftey in numbers, so rather than risk trying to put out a slim 8-page comic on its own, it's better to lump them all together for something a little more chunky. This is the result!

66 pages for goodness for £3.50. It's perfect-bound goodness so will be a bit more durable than your average comic as well. :-) As the comics are short, any proper preview risks spoiling whole chunks of story. All the comics are completely different, so while sharing an image from my comic isn't representative, it's an idea of at least a little of the contents. Please feel free to come browse at the Expo!

For more info on the other contributors, as perhaps a little discussion on it as well, please visit here:
http://www.sweatdrop.com/forum/showthread.php?p=190896#post190896

2 weeks until the Expo - everything's ready! XD

And it's also ready and up for sale on my online shop, please visit: http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

Expo is this month! :D

2010-05-01T18:04:00.004+01:00

So it's coming up to the MCM Expo in London once again. I am booked, registered and officially attending! List of artists can be found here:

http://www.londonexpo.com/show_features/comic_village__expo.html

The bad news: I was mentioning to people that I might perhaps have a new Japanofail ready in time - I've failed! ;_;

Things have gotten a bit on top of me lately, so while I was optimistically hoping to get a new issue done, it was not to be. :-( I'll still have issues 1+2 available, as well as all the rest of my comics (Beholder of the Eye 2 was finished in March, but it'll be its first Expo appearence), so hopefully there'll still be stuff for people to see.

The good news: There will be 'something' new appearing at the event. It's finished, and off at the printers. So as soon as I've officially got something sellable - I will announce it! ^_^

4 weeks to go...

2010-04-21T12:11:00.006+01:00

I'm sure there are a few anime and manga fans out there, so thought this worth a mention. :-)

The guys over at eyeonanime.co.uk have recently relaunched their website. There's still quite a lot for them to do, such as linking up the complete archives from the old version of the site, but it's a start and updates will be much more frequent from now on.

As for my involvement, I am a contributor for them. And while my drawing antics have pulled me away from there quite significanlty over the last year, this new blog-type format should allow me to get back in the mix. So if you want to hear about interesting and unusual manga series, I'll do my best to keep you in the know. ;-)

Go to: www.eyeonanime.co.uk

Additionally, I also drew a set of 5 avatars that represent each of the staff members. It was a new thing to do work that wasn't a project just of my own initiative, so it was fun to do something different like this. There's also a nice little forum over there. The community is small, but very welcoming and knowledgable. Feel free to join in! ^_^

The Thing 2010 is complete!

2010-03-27T22:44:00.002Z

So after all the hype, The UK Web and Mini Comix Thing 2010 has been and gone. So how was it? It was pretty fun as it goes. :-) Matters weren't helped by the local train station being closed and heavy rain, but people still battled their way into the venue. Today I also had backup in form of my sister - we make quite a fearsome team, lol. ^_^

A few of my comics found their way into the hands of people. Thank you so much - I really hope you enjoy reading! ^_^ It was a friendly event and it was nice to be able to meet and talk to a few fellow artists. I'll definitely consider attending again next year.

There was a lot of talent on display, so couldn't help buying more comics, lol. :3

So that's the first event of the year down. Next stop: London Expo in 2 months!

The Thing 2010 is upon you!

2010-03-26T00:04:00.003Z

Not long now - it's tomorrow in fact! (as it's gone midnight now, lol) The Thing is coming!

No new news really, just a general reminder and summary of what to look out for:

- The Anthology: Epic dinosaur-themed book with lots of pages and stuffs. Contains 2 pages of specially made Japanofail! :D (which incidently celebrated its first birthday yesterday! :D )

- Beholder of the Eye 2: New comic - come get some! (Warning: contains 'rar')

- Stickers: Passports will be given out to attendees to collect creative stickers for fun times. It's all free, so don't be shy! ;-)

Still a little nervous as it'll be my first time with a table at this particular event, but then again it's been 5 months since the last event so am looking forward to being in a comic atmosphere once more. ^_^

Beholder of the Eye 2 - Preview!

2010-03-15T22:05:00.003Z

I'm not sure how, but I got Beholder of the Eye 2 completed in time! The comics arrived earlier today, so this 44-page issue of angst and action (or should that be angsty action?) is good and ready to go!

It's The Thing in just under 2 weeks... I'm ready! If you're around please look out for it. ^_^

It is also available in my shop: http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

Dino-Saw-Us! Raaar!

2010-03-11T23:26:00.003Z

Not a major update, just a note to say I got my stickers for the Dino-Saw-Us activity that will be going on at The Thing. So if you're attending and find yourself with a passport - come and fine me on Table 32! ^__^

A couple of you may recognise the image as I have it on some of my business cards. But basically it's the only image I've got that's not related directly to one of my comics, so I took it!

Just over 2 weeks to go - but expect a big announcement before then! :D

Your Passport to The Thing!

2010-03-03T12:07:00.004Z

Okay we're getting close to some fun stuff now. ^_^

It's the UK Web & Mini Comix Thing in London at the end of the month (27th March to be precise), and things are starting to come together. I *might* have news regarding my current comic progress, but that's for another update nearer the time methinks. ^_-

This update is regarding a fun little thingy that a few fellow comix peeps have come up with, and I've decided to jump on board. Visitors get given a free passport, and then they can fill their passport with creator-made stickers as they browse. That's all there is to it really, but it's a fun way to get people meeting each other. DINO-SAW-US is a go! (I pinched your photo for this - I'm sorry! ^^;)

Speaking of dinosaurs (barely...) look out for the dino-themed anthology for the event which is promising to be a 100+ page monster. I've got a 2-page Japanofail 'Dinosaur Spesh' in there which was quite fun to draw, so hopefully a few people who wouldn't otherwise check my stuff might enjoy it. Even though it's huge, the book's always sold extremely cheaply, so is well worth buying if you're attending - look out for it!

Three and a half weeks to go!

February Update

2010-02-17T16:31:00.000Z

Figure I should at least to one post a month to keep things nice and current. ^_^

I've spent the last few weeks trying to get Beholder of the Eye 2 finished. It's almost there, but at the same time still has quite a lot of tweaking to be done (still got more than a few blank panels to fill - eep! 0_0; ). The image above is what the front cover will look like - a bit of a weird approach in wanting to make it both striking and muted, but there you go. The back cover's also done and is arguably better than the front, but the only way to see that will be to buy it! ;-D

So it's definitely getting there, but it's still going to be tight for The Thing next month! XD Will keep you posted...

Back on track!

2010-01-30T22:26:00.002Z

It's taken longer than I hoped, but things are hopefully back on track in terms of me doing comics. Japanofail had gone on hiatus over Christmas, but it is now up again, although updates have shifted to Wednesdays. In between times I've been trying to compile new ideas for future strips, and there's still a while to go before I need to start work on it again. I'm not there yet, but hopefully I can start thinking about a third comic soon(-ish. lol).

I'm still working on Beholder of the Eye 2 which is taking forever. It's been over 6 months in the making as I tend to leave it every now and then while I digest its development. The good news howeverv is that I've FINALLY finished the pencils! It's going to be 40 pages of epic drama and action and I've really tried to improve many aspects from the first installment. Inking's been started on around half the pages so it's coming along. If I get my butt in gear *maybe* it'll be ready for The Thing, otherwise it's a cert for the Expo in May. ^___^

February's going to be a busy drawing month - wish me luck!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-17T18:59:00.002Z

I'm late by two and a half weeks, but Happy New Year to all! XD

Some bizarre place known as 'real life' has been taking up my time, but I'm back now. Japanofail's been on hiatus for a last few weeks because of it, but should start updating again next week! No big news to tell, I've just been working (slowly) on a few different projects.

One new thing is that I'm on the list for attending London Expo this May. Expo's a nice big event, it will be my third time attending so I guess I'm a bit of a veteran now even though I still feel like a newbie, lol. Before that is The Thing at the end of March, so there's a lot going on. I'm going to be stupidly busy for the first half of the year - it's going to be quite exciting so long as I can keep up with the pace! After Expo I've no plans at all, so it's just going to be 4 months of PAIN! ;D

Hope to see you around, and I'll try to come up with the goods! ^_^

Lots to do! XD

2009-12-10T00:42:00.002Z

Howdy! I'm still working on Beholder of the Eye 2, and I'm coming to the realisation that I'm SLOW! Got a little preview of the current inking standard - hatching's become my latest thing despite it being heavy going and time consuming. The extra detail is in hopes that I can stop relying on tones so much and let the drawings stand on their own a little bit more. Will have to wait and see what the final results look like, but I hope people are enticed by this sneaky peek! Just hit page 25 with many gaps to go back to later, but it's coming on...

In other news I've gone off the deep end and have started recruiting people to collaborate on a group anthology. This year's Manga Jiman competition has closed, with the results being announced in February. Only so many people get exhibited as winners, so for fun a few of us are going to club together to have them printed to make the most of the effort we all put in. Also worth looking out for will be Leek and Sushi 2 which will contain more entries from the same competition so it looks as though there'll be quite a lot for people to read next year! ^_^

Things such as the line up, page count and title are yet to be confirmed as planning only started under week ago. Things are already starting to take shape so I'm hopeful that there'll be a couple of pleasant surprises within its pages. It's a big project and anything could happen, so I'll keep the blog up to date as relevent news arises. :-)

Back to cross-hatching now...

New Header!

2009-12-02T23:13:00.003Z

I needed to draw something, and I was starting to get bored looking at the old header, so I did a new one! It was originally an image I resurrected from a few years ago, so was pretty old stuff even when I first start this blog. Something a little more current was needed so I had a play and the result now adorns the top of the page. I hope you like it! ^^

No real news really. Work on Beholder of the Eye 2 is still ongoing (preview sketch included!^). Haven't touched the pencils for a while, so still have no idea how long it's going to be. Inking in Manga Studio just hit page 22, so although there are a fair few gaps before that it's coming along. Progress is slow, but I'm doing my best so the extra effort should prove worth it, lol. XD

Other things I'm thinking about doing are my Sweatdrop forums Secret Santa drawing and a perhaps a piece for The Thing anthology next year. The theme this year is dinosaurs, hmmm...

Into hibernation...

2009-11-20T00:20:00.003Z

This is pretty much it for the year. It's getting colder, night comes earlier in the evenings, and there's no events going on for a good few months now. It's time to huddle by the fire and get comfy for the winter.

As it's a long stretch of time I'm going to try and use it to make something epic. As such, Beholder of the Eye 2 is now deeply in the works. I actually started pencilling in the summer, but only recenrly has it started to get scanned and inked on computer. Pending launch is The Thing in March, so it's a little (VERY!) early to speak of real details. Also, the pencils still haven't been completed so I can't confirm a final page count, but it's definitely going to bigger than the first one.

I'm really trying to up my game with this one, so while it's a long way off please look forward to it! :-)

Bored waiting between now and then? You can follow me on twitter if you like...

Comica Comiket 2009 report!

2009-11-09T22:38:00.004Z

So Comica Comiket went down yesterday - and it was a lot of fun! The room for the venue was compact, but everyone was very nice and some laughs were had. Instead of my usual table photo, I took a picture of something different that I've not experienced anywhere else.

Everyone exhibiting got given a numbered slip of paper with a random quote on it, a stick of charcoal and intructions to go out and fill your assigned spot as you saw fit. The quote I got was: "You think this is our first argument? Dan living with him you don't know what it's like..." Didn't really know what to make of it - what would you have drawn? o_o; All the quotes were from the same graphic novel (I think it was Watchmen) and everyone went out and did their thing.

It was kind of weird having to draw with other people around, but as everyone was doing it it was easier to get in and out ninja style without drawing too much attention. ^^ I came up with an angsty shojo thing for fun. It was cool to see just how varied all the other artists' drawings were, so it's a pretty neat idea which was fun thing to be a part of - will probably go again if there's half a chance. ^^

This is what I came up with:

A couple of things

2009-11-07T23:16:00.004Z

Just a last minute reminder for anyone in London tomorrow that from between 1pm and 6pm tomorrow afternoon, I'll be selling my comics at the ICA at the Comica Comkiet Small Press and Self-Publisers Fair. This will be my last event this year (the next one being The Thing at Mile End in March). If anyone happens to be there - feel free to come over and say hi! ^^

Also in other news: Japanofail just celebrated hitting 50 pages online! Yay!

Lots of things to share! ^^

2009-10-31T17:28:00.004Z

Happy Halloween folks! :3 Got three big news things to share today so it's all going on! :D

Firstly - A community event on the sweatdrop forums of a 'Serect Satan' is happening today where everyone puts their names into a hat and does a drawing for another member. The above drawing is my present for fellow member Alpoynter. I also recieved a great picture from Gothich_Madines_ who drew me a zombie-filled party. Rather than rip her work for the blog, you can see it on this thread:
http://www.sweatdrop.com/forum/showt...d=1#post180998

Great stuff all round - woot!

Next - One of my very early comic strips has seen print in the UK Anime Club magazine! They guys over at Anime Connect have been kind enough to be the host of Otaku Bytes - a page of two 4koma strips in a similar vein to Japanofail. I'm hoping to have a page in the new issue as well, so if anyone's a member of the club please look out for it! ^^

Last, but my no means least - I should be attending a new event... next week! 0_0;

I'm a newbie to the self-publishing scene, and so only heard of this event for the first time a few days ago, but the ICA will be holding a comic market next Sunday called Comica Comkiet. The ICA is near Charing Cross station in London, and the doors for the event will be open 1-6p.m. on Sunday 8th November. Only just applied for a spot there at the last minute - but should be good to be there will all my comics amongst a mixture of comickers of varying styles. Should be fun!

October Expo 2009 Report

2009-10-25T21:10:00.004Z

So I just got back from the Expo a little while ago... and look a bit worse for wear.

I always forget just how much energy the event drains from you. Saturday was really rough and in all honesty I struggled to keep up with all the people coming to my table, the packed aisles of cosplayers and the nearby events stage running karaoke, Taiko drums and Parapara dancing throughout the day. Quite a coincidence that I put a Parapara display on my table which brought a few people over, but the price was hearing a techno version of the Evangelion theme many, many times! (it's still in my head @_@;)

So I went into Sunday a weakened state, but more mentally prepared. From it I somehow caught a second wind come the late afternoon. Sorry Saturday folks, but the shiny, happy Ushio was only around on Sunday! Still having not learned my lesson from last May, I'll have to try even harder to build up my strength for future events in order to talk properly to my awesome readers.

Quite a few people stopped by and I'm glad that so many of you were willing to give my work a go, and am especially happy for those who liked it enough to come back for more! XD Japanofail sold much more than the rest, with the second edition topping the sales by a margin I frankly did not expect.

Was also very cool to hear a couple of people asking after Beholder of the Eye 2 - you're a hardcore little group and will do my best to get it done for the next show. ^_~ It's currently in the pencil stages so it's all under way. I'm trying to make it as badass as possible with all the dramas so please look forward to it!

Overall it was rough, but ultimately rewarding. Just give me a while to recover and will then start getting ready for the next event: The UK Web and Mini Comix Thing in March next year! (I'm on table 32 listed as Japanofail, lol)

Japanofail 2 is here!

2009-10-20T17:14:00.004+01:00

Because my printer is awesomely reliable and lenient to me throwing stuff at them at the last minute - the hardcopies of Japanofail 2 landed on my doorstep today and so therefore will definitely be available come the Expo! XD

They've come out really well so I'm extremely happy looking at the finished product!

Everyone bring your £2 coins this Saturday and Sunday. Preare to set sail for fail! ^_^

Also available on my shop: http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

Pre-Expo hype - build up the tension!

2009-10-20T00:11:00.003+01:00

The guys over at Sweatdrop uploaded their latest podcast today. For anyone interested in what's going to be at the Expo in terms of UK comics, it is well worth a listen.

Go here:
http://www.sweatdrop.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12437

Because they are undeniably awesome people, they give Japanofail a mention not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES throughout the show! o_0; Considering I'm not a part of their group (thought I do spam up their forums somewhat) that's a hell of a lot of love that's being sent its way.

Essential listening then. ^^ It also mentions a lot of new titles coming out from both themselves and other UK circles and independant artists. There's a lot to look out for!

Sweatdrop stuffs:
Chemical Blue 1
Talking to Strangers
Sun Fish Moon Fish - Lyre Fish Story (that'd be number 3 for those keeping track;-D )

And from other cool non-Sweatdrop peoples:
Unnatural Remedy
Legends Anthology
Between Worlds
Far Out Mantic 2
Also Secret Colours which I mentioned previously in an earlier blog post. :3
And of course Japanofail 2 which as far as I'm aware is in transit and will arrive very soon!

I've probably left thousands of other worthy comics off this list - please forgive! More are certainly mentioned within the podcast, but no current links to find at the moment. Just listen to it for all the juicy info and get ready to spend your moolah! ^_^

Title Announcement - Japanofail! Issue 2

2009-10-14T09:19:00.005+01:00

This was the one I’d been trying to get done in time for the Expo - and I did! XD

It was a bit of a close-run thing, but I got Japanofail issue 2 finished and sent off to the printers last week so it should be good to debut at the Expo next week! 24 pages of otaku-related fail for £2 - come get some, lol!

Will update again once the physical product arrives, which I’m really looking forward to seeing. If you want to remind yourself of what Japanofail is then have a look here. There’s currently about 5 strips from this issue online of the 30-odd that are in the comic. Plus this also has a few bonus of content that won’t be appearing online, so alongside being a real physical thing, the hardcopy has a definite edge. ^^

Expo’s so close, but feel like it'll take forever to come - I can’t wait! X3

Expo Directions!

2009-10-13T22:07:00.004+01:00

It's still over a week away, but I'm starting to get excited about the Expo. The info and maps for the Comic Village have been released, so thought it an idea to say where I'll be if anyone wants to check out my comics.

The Comic Village in will be in the far left corner of the hall, of which there'll be a highly condensed patch of raw artistic talent within the 60-odd tables of comic-goodness. I'm number 20, as indicated. ^_~

I hope the MCM don't mind me using their map - promoting their event and stuff is good right?

Stay tuned for big Expo news from me. Will probably update again tomorrow about it as I've been holding back on this news for barely a week now. Really looking forward to the Expo! ^^

Secret Colours

2009-10-11T18:20:00.004+01:00

Leading up to the Expo, Kairi-Moon will be selling Secret Colours, an art book with step-by-step guides as to how they were made. The quality of work in their looks amazing to be honest, there are a couple of previews on the Sweatdrop community forums here.

One section of the book will be a general sketchbook-type section, where everyone of a wider range of abilities was asked to submit a random doodle (this was my point of entry ^^ ). Mine's here which is basically a random sketch that I got carried away with. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks in print alongside everybody elses! ^^

Be on the look out for it at the Expo - I think there are a lot of different artists within those pages, so it will be a good chance to see everyone's work. Yay!

Ellerbisms fanart

2009-10-07T22:38:00.004+01:00

A few of you may or may not be familiar with his work, but Marc Ellerby's diary-styled webcomic Ellerbisms just hit a landmark of 200 pages. To celebrate, he put a call out for people to submit any strips, fan arts or anything else that people wanted to share.

I'm a bit of a fan of his comic, and we've met a few times, so did him a drawing for fun. I know Mark likes his manga, so I hope this slightly tongue-in-cheek tribute was to his tastes.

Not familiar with his work? Click here!

Expo's soon - I should have news about that very soon... ^^

Progress - see you in October!

2009-09-19T23:43:00.004+01:00

I've been continuing on from what was said my last entry and have spent the last week working on Japanofail issue 2. I've currently completed about 5 pages which while isn't a long way in, is a definite start. It's going to be tight (when isn't it? >_>;), but at least I've half a snowball's chance of geting it done - woop, woop! :-D

The target is to have the same page count as issue 1, 20 pages of content with 4 more of bonus strips and extras. As such all the files for the rest of the comic are prepped and ready to go, with the dialogue in place to have picture drawn around them. The only things that haven't been thought about are the editorial and the front/back covers - something which I always underestimate - but the majority of it is there!

My attendance to the London Expo this October has been confirmed, so I'll definitely be having a table in the Comic Village with or without the new comic (I'll still have my other comics for your buying pleasure however!).

Will keep you posted as time goes on...

Japanofail 2 has begun!

2009-09-13T00:56:00.004+01:00

Hi there, it's been a while!

I've been AWOL drawing an 8 page comic which for my entry to the Manga Jiman competition. Part of the rules state that I can't put any of my entry online before submitting, so with nothing to show I couldn't really update. ^^; The deadline's toward the end of the month if anyone's interested and feeling extra speedy with their art. Got my entry in during the week so it's done and dusted! Fingers crossed I can share it with the outside world at a later date...

Now for some bad news. Beholder of the Eye 2 won't be ready for the October Expo. ;_; I've got to a certain stage and realised that the plot's geting ever more epic, demanding a bigger page count and a story telling ability which I'm trying to measure up to. Basically it needs a bit more time to develop. If things go well with my other drawing projects I should start work on it again in under a month. Please bear with me - it's going to be immense!

Any good news? Well, work has started on Japanofail 2! Don't believe me? The first new strip has just been uploaded online! Go check it out!

I'm really hoping to get a whole new issue done for the Expo, but as I've literally just started on it I need to do something crazy like 2 strips a day in between everything else to make it on time. It's risky stuff, but I'm going to give it a shot so wish me luck! (don't hate me if I don't make it lol...)

XD

Ayacon - Complete!

2009-08-17T21:21:00.004+01:00

Made it back from Ayacon today. My mind has been warped, twisted and disturbed, and my innocence somewhat shattered (the pub quiz has a lot to answer for), but I survived! Thus ends my second attempt at selling comics. Next event: October London Expo!

Bumped into and met a lot of cool people throughout the weekend (thanks for stopping by!) and generally had a great time. As for the hat I'm wearing? Things just seem to happen at conventions so you learn to go with the flow...

Pre-Ayacon nerves

2009-08-13T18:03:00.004+01:00

Off to Ayacon... TOMORROW! @_@;

I'm nervously looking forward to it. Mainly hoping to meet up with a lot of people I know online, but have never really gotten to meet face to face. I'll be milling around on the Friday and Saturday so I want to meet as many peeps as possible. All you need do is ask every person in the building 'Do you fail!?', and I'm sure you'll find me at some point! ;-D

If that doesn't work (why wouldn't it?), then I'll be in the dealer's room on Sunday between 10 and 5 attempting to peddle my comics. I'm carrying ample supplies of D.R.U.N.K., Beholder of the Eye and Japanofail with me along with some of my sketchbooks so I can use as much free time as possible to get more drawing done!

In terms of comic progress I've mainly been working on Beholder of the Eye 2. About 12 pages are pencilled, although I'm not sure how long the final count will be just yet, but it's coming on. As for Japanofail, I've not touched it! ^^; I've probably got enough ideas on paprt to get another comic done, but nothing's really happened to be honest, and probably won't until the pencils are done on Beholder 2. That said I think there's only about a month's worth of strips left to upload online, so time's running out! One way or another they'll come, but for now I'm sticking to the old pencils.

Will report back after Ayacon if there's news to be had. ^_^

The Mission!

2009-08-08T01:02:00.009+01:00

Okay so I've drawn myself up a little chart so I can get my new comics done in time for October's London Expo... and I'm in trouble already.

For Japanofail 2, I need to do on average 4 strips per week. Simple, right? Next comes Beholder of the Eye 2: I need to pencil a page a day, and once they're done it's inking a page every day without fail, which should then leave me with a couple of weeks to get it all sent off to the printers. These plans would have to run simultaneously as well so it's going to be a bit of a squeeze...

My never ending search for free time is starting to pay off, but even so this is going to be tough! That guideline doesn't allow for getting covers done, inevitable cock-ups and system failures or getting my Manga Jiman entry done.

To be honest I should be more sensible about it, focus on one comic at a time with the full expectation that only one comic will get done... but I'm not a very sensible person. It's all or nothing with me so I'm going to try and bust myself to get these done, and hopefully not at the expense of the quality (it's thin on the ground as it is!).

Anyone reading this: Don't let me get behind. If you're at Ayacon, ask me how much work I've done, demand to see my sketches. At any other time, send me messages here, PM me on forums - just make sure I'm on track! I'll be giving updates here (and sneak previews if there's anything non-spoilerish to show, like the above pic from Japanofail, hee!), it's time to sink or swim! >_>;

For now though I'm tired, pessimistic and vaguely determined... this so isn't going to happen, lol.

Regardless: Ganbarimasu! XD

I'll be at Ayacon!

2009-08-04T21:52:00.004+01:00

Ayacon, one of the UK's longest running anime convention, is going to be on at the Warwick Arts Centre between 14th and 16th of this month. I've been a hardened manga and anime fan for around 15 years I think, but this is actually my first ever time to go to a convention!

On top of that, I've gone and booked a table for the Sunday! It was a last minute decision as I wasn't going to bother and just use it as a chance to lose my 'con-newbie', but what the hell I may as well do a bit of everything! ^_^

Think registration for the event ends this week, so if you've not booked you better hurry! Anyone who's already set up, please come see me! Being a newbie also means I don't really know many people who are going... ;_;

Kind of made this longer than necessary. To summarise:

Ayacon.
Sunday.
Buy my comics?
Fun times. ^_^

Hope to see you then! And if you really can't make it, there's always my online shop (it looks a bit weird, but seriously - it does work, lol!).

Diving in once more!

2009-08-02T17:46:00.004+01:00

Just a general update this time to say I'm finally starting up my drawing again. It's slowgoing, but work has started on both Japanofail 2 and Beholder of the Eye 2.

Japanofial will basically be more of the same. I'm slightly worried that my jokes might start to repeat a little as I reuse theme, but for now I've got a bunch of ideas and just want time to draw them up. If I'm lucky the weekly updates will proceed uninterrupted. ^^

As for Beholder of the Eye 2... whew it's going to be a tough one to crack. I've pencilled about 6 pages so far, and I'm trying to develop in all areas as much as possible. I'm making things deliberately difficult for myself to force both my artistic and narrative skills to improve. More action scenes and very controversial themes will make or break this series for a lot of people. I seriously hope I can pull it off.

Chances of getting these done in time for October Expo? Let's just say I'd be very ambitious to say they'll be there. But if the wind's behind me and have the time then who knows?

Will update soon, maybe even with an image or two! ;-D

People read my comics! XD

2009-07-19T23:26:00.003+01:00

The guys over at Sweatdrop have been one of the main promoters of UK-made manga styled comics in recent years, encouraging not just their own work, but pretty much anyone and everyone who draws stuff.

Their latest podcast is an Expo special, and they spend much of the time talking about al the people who had new coimcs to sell. It's a great compliment (and a little scary) to hear them mention my coimcs as well! A little quote on what they said about each one:

D.R.U.N.K - "... I'm slightly worried."

Japanofail - "It's really, really funny."

Beholder of the Eye - "Draw more, there will be the beating stick if you don't!"

If you want to have a proper listen then go here here. My stuff appears at just after the the 36 minute mark, but be sure to listen to the whole thing to get the scoop on everybody else's work as well! ^_^

And of course if you're intrigued by what's said and want to read my stuff, the shop is here. *enters pimp mode*

I'm suddenly feeling good about myself and have an hour or two to spare. It's been a couple months, so it's about time to get drawing again! :-O

I have a shop!

2009-07-05T19:19:00.002+01:00

I've just opened a new blog page and have converted it into a little online shop for my comics.

Find it here:
http://www.ushioshop.blogspot.com/

Payments are by Paypal only but I'll post to anywhere with an address! It took me a while to figure out how to make everything work, but it's finally good to go!

Please feel free to have a browse - and perhaps even buy something!

^_^

Good god, does he ever stop whining?

2009-06-29T00:38:00.002+01:00

I recognize the need to keep updates vaguely regular, despite the fact I've done precious little in terms of productive drawing.

So what have I been doing?

Life.

We have have on in some form or another, we just have to deal with it. ;-D

On the plus side I've had a chance to sketch out some random ideas. I've probably got enough for Japanofail 2 once I've got the time to draw them up. Also have some ideas floating around for a couple other stories, although I really need to get some established projects done before I can seriously consider that (Beholder 2 anyone? Lol!).

My brain is alive, but my body is running somewhere behind it. Once the time comes I will start drawing once again!

A little known fact, but I also write reviews on anime and manga from time to time on eyeonanime.co.uk, so if you feel the need you can find me floating around on their forums. My obligations there were seemingly sacrificed while I drew some comics, so I'm desperately trying to clear my backlog of reviews. Once I've caught a little up I will try and establish a balance between writing, drawing and life. Target: October Expo, and already I want more time for get ready! XD

A quiet landmark

2009-06-18T23:18:00.003+01:00

Japanofail has just hit 25 pages on host site drunkduck. It's good enough for a mention in the news there, so no reason not to mention it here.

Have also tweaked the blog a little, adding a links section for sites related to my drawing and other places I like to hang out. Please take a look if you've the time!

Productivity's gone down a little in terms of drawing. Looks like real life is going to kidnap me for at least the next 4 weeks, but if I'm psychotically determined enough I might still get some drawing done. (the effort needed will probably shorten my lifespan, lol) At the very least the weekly updates for Japanofail won't be interuppred because it's already been done, so that's something. ^^

...so what next?

2009-06-10T10:30:00.003+01:00

First up: THE INVASION HAS BEGUN! >:-D Yep, for those who missed out on the Expo (or more likely ran out of money or found my face too scary), my comics should now be available at Orbital Manga in London. They're quite keen on supporting the small press scene, so they took pity on this poor artist and have taken on copies of D.R.U.N.K., Japanofail and Beholder of the Eye for your reading pleasure. If you happen to find yourself in there one of these days, please take a look! ^^

After the hustle and bustle of the Expo, there's been a bit of a void in the last two weeks where I don't really know what to do with myself. In an attempt to kick-start myself into action, I'm going to announce my intentions for the next few months which should put me under the gun enough to get going again. (or just finish me off ^^;)

1 - Otaku Bytes - Did this a while ago now, but my first 4-koma comic (I did it before starting Japanofail) is imminent I think. It's only a page's worth, but will be in the next Anime Connect magazine if anyone's a member on the UK Anime Club. Despite the short length it's highly likely that it'll have a much bigger circualtion than my other stuff combined, so hopefully a few people will read it. Will have to make a start on the next one soon I think...

2 - Manga Jiman - The Japanese Embassy manga competition. I think in it's third year now but this will be my first time entering. The task is to write a 6-8 page story with the theme of 'The Sun'. I've come up with an idea, so between now and September will try and get something done. :-)

3 - Japanofail 2 - There's no getting out of it: Out of all the stuff I've done so far, this is by far the most popular. Haven't touched it for a while as the online updates are still working through the backlog from issue 1, but I've got a bunch of ideas for later on for when they inevitably run out (I've noticed they're getting stranger).

4 - Beholder of the Eye 2 - Have you read issue 1 yet? Well, have you? Lol! ;-D For anyone who took the risk on this all I can do is repeat myself and say thanks so much! I've had a couple of people give a positive response, and that's enough to get me started on issue 2! It's in the thumbnail stages right now so work has already started. Who knows how long it'll take though, but fingers crossed for October Expo if things run smoothly.

That's about it for now, I suppose I should really spend more time just practising on backgrounds or using colour or something, but I'm happier just to jump in and try to learn on the fly. We'll have to see how things go so wish me luck!

Getting all shojo...

2009-06-06T21:11:00.002+01:00

Totally out of my safe zone, but I've entered a Manga drawing competition for a make-up company! Eyeko were present at the London Expo giving out some freebies, but they came over to my table with a leaflet about it so thought it rude not to accept!

I've done little in terms of a real range, but so far it's been totally non-shojo in terms of style. Was a change of pace from other stuff I've done, and was glad to have an excuse to experiment with colouring again. The challenge was appreciated! All things considered I think I came out relatively unscathed.

I got my entry in before the deadlines at the end of May, but it was since extended until the end of June. It does mean that us early birds are already on there here. While I did it, I think copyright now lies with them so I hope they don't mind me talking about it here. ^^; Will be interesting to see how many other people enter - I look forward to seeing everyone's work!

Expo Artist's Alley

2009-05-28T23:25:00.002+01:00

Still in full recovery mode from last weekend at the Expo. Not yet had a day free since then so feeling human again is a steady process. I've not actually had time to draw anything for a whole week now, but thought I'd share the last thing I did.

The above pic is my Artist's Alley entry for the Expo. The theme was 'Self Portrait' so went a ways to reveal a bit of my eeeevil side! >:-) It didn't place anywhere in the contest (congrats to the winnars! ^_^ ), but I had a lot of fun doing it. Does it look anything like me? That depends I suppose, heh...

Still feel very much in an experimental stage where I test the waters with various techniques at every opportunity. With this one I had a big play with inking... hatching, cross-hatching and 'let's do a thousand more lines' hatching were all in full swing. Kind of went overboard with it but at the same time I almost feel as though I didn't do enough. ^^;

Oh and please excuse the signature thingy in the bottom left. I'm normally loathed to do that on illustrations, especially one so big, but there was big white gap in the corner that needed filling somehow (maybe that's the wrong attitude...). I made the siggy up at the last minute and came up with that funky little thing. It's a bit unusual so might stick with it for now, lol. Oh and I'm still trying to work out the best way to draw hands, damn them. Think I got about half of the fingers okay, but it's always hard!

I entered this on Saturday and later saw it nestled in the top left corner of the over 16s section... if anyone saw it there I hope they liked it! ^_^

Expo action!

2009-05-24T20:33:00.002+01:00

Today and yesterday were the days I'd been waiting for with a mixture of excitement and stress - it was the London Expo!

Things went pretty well, especially considering this was my first time out and not m/any people knew my work. D.R.U.N.K., Beholder of the Eye 1 and Japanofail 1 all debuted at this event, with Japanofail outselling the other two put together! 0_0

Thanks to everyone who took a look, and even more so to people who risked buying something - you guys rule epicly! Even cooler are the people who bought one, and then returned later for more - how awesome are you!? ^_^

Seriously, this could have been an embarrassing disaster with a worst case scenario of me throwing the in towel, but thanks to all the people who gave me the benefit of the doubt and gave my work a shot I'm really looking forward to producing more work. You hear that? MOAR! XD

Japanofail 1 - Official Preview!

2009-05-19T14:12:00.006+01:00

Getting close to the Expo now, so about time to finish my title announcements. Just got the hardcopies in the post so everything is good to go!

Japanofail Issue 1 - 24 pages of 4-panel jokes based on or around Japan, anime, manga, video games and pretty much whatever else I think up. Starting out mainly as a testing ground (found here), the feedback so far has been really positive so ran with the idea.

The online version's nearly up to number 20, while the comic goes ahead to nearly double that due to a frenzied drawing session a couple of weeks ago. There are a couple of extra strips in there as well so it's pretty cool I'm pretty pleased with it - it took less than two months from between the first page upload to holding a finished copy in my hands. It's been a rough road but I hope people enjoy it!

Here are a couple of previews, but as half of it's already online you can go here and read some more! Hope you enjoy it, but remember: Physical comics are better. ^_^

Interested but can't get to an event? It is now available on my little shop: http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

Codename: Pepsi

2009-05-16T18:32:00.003+01:00

I'm not really sure how it came about, but a random discussion on the Sweatdrop forums has resulted in a collaborative comic that contains everything from spies, evil bunnies, nazis and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Hats off to Willie Hewes of Itch Publishing for going and making a full comic based on little more than a random whim, and also opening the project up so that anyone interested could throw in their own ideas. The above picture is my contribution, and will be reproduced inside the comic. It's one of the first times my work will be printed without me having to fork out for it, lol! It's a really nice little community piece, but anyone who picks it up should enjoy it.

There'll only be 50 copies ever made, so click the image to get linked to the pre-order page to avoid disappointment. Hopes are high for an Expo release, so please look out for it. ^_^

Beholder of the Eye 1 - Official Preview!

2009-05-14T00:33:00.009+01:00

Here we go - comic number 2 official preview!

Not much to add from what I said on the previous announcement, but here are a couple of preview pages to check out.

Currently being printed, so should be fine to bring to the Expo next weekend! I'm absolutely petrified about the idea of selling these things and its repercussions. I think I'm getting better at it, but on the scale of things I've still no real clue on how to write a comic or anything like that. I'm just going with the flow for now and hoping that people like what I've done. I resist the urge to descend into a screaming panic. There's no room for regrets! Onward! XD

Beholder of the Eye is available at my online shop: http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

Title Announcement! - Japanofail! 1

2009-05-10T23:55:00.002+01:00

Not a new title, but the first official confirmation I can give that a physical version of Japanofail has been completed! Spent my entire week off work getting this done so am a bit drained - people seem to like it so hopefully it will go down well despite the psycho-garish cover. XD

Not much else to say. If you want to read some of it, check out: www.drunkduck.com/japanofail, but be warned the comic goes well beyond what's currently available online. ;-D Will reveal more info once I've got a physical copy to show. Please look forward to it!

And now for something completely different...

2009-05-08T00:00:00.004+01:00

Well kinda... lately everything I've drawn's been for a specific project, so it'd been a while that I drew something simply for the sake of it (you know, because it's fun? ;-D ). Anyone out there remember Dogtanian?

Not really one for fanart, so this is an unusual impulse for me. Didn't take long to do and had a lot of fun doing it so perhaps more will appear as time goes on.

Meh, that's it really. Back to the grindstone for more Expo-related shenanigans. The Japanofail comic is around 75% complete, so time's running out! Keep going! XD

Two and a half weeks to go!

2009-05-05T15:17:00.005+01:00

Mega hyped at the moment as I just recieved my pass for the London Expo. There's no backing out now! So yes, I will be here in one fortnight:
http://www.londonexpo.com/

I can't relax just yet as there's still lots to do! Current comic-making status:

D.R.U.N.K. - totally finished. I have a stack of them ready and waiting to be sold.

Beholder of the Eye 1 - Finished and over at the printer. Will get a proof and then decide on how many I want done.

Japanofail - SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! I am hoping to get a hardcopy of my webcomic ready for the Expo. I've got about 13 pages worth of material done so far, just really need to dig in and get that page count up! Reckon I'll be working on this all this week so fingers crossed I can make it in time. If you want to check it out it's still ongoing here: http://www.drunkduck.com/Japanofail/index.php

It's all happening then! Will I rise to the challenge, or fail epicly? We'll find out very soon! ^_^

D.R.U.N.K. - Official preview!

2009-04-30T22:49:00.008+01:00

Yep, it's here and it's done. D.R.U.N.K. is finally in hardcopy and ready to be launched into the world!

The pitch: D.R.U.N.K. is a 23-page one shot story about a couple having a difference of opinion (or something...). The title is an acronym for 'Dangerous Rage Using Negligible Knowledge', which basically describes the entire plot, so to prevent the task of reading the comic itself completely pointless I removed the dialogue in the preview pages.

This title represents my maiden voyage into self-publishing, so I hope that the fun I had making it will come through to the reader. ^^

Here are some sneaky peeks!

I intend to launch this at the London Expo in May at £2 a pop, so if anyone is attending the event please look out for it!

I have also added this title to my online shop:

http://www.ushiocomics.co.uk/

Title announcement - Beholder of the Eye!

2009-04-26T00:37:00.009+01:00

Just finished working on issue one last night - it's done! *collapses of exhaustion*

A new title, chapter 1 of an ongoing story, and it's NOT a comedy! We're talking action/drama all the way. Had a lot of fun experimenting and working on something a little more *intense*, so am really hoping that people enjoy the finished product (once it's printed).

As with D.R.U.N.K. preview pages will appear closer to the time. ^_-

Guess this is also a good time to announce my attendance at the London Expo. I've sent off for payment, so should be good to go. It's just under 4 weeks until my self-publishing debut and I'll totally be bricking it all the whole way. There's still lots I need to get done and typically I've left it all until the last minute... pray for me people.

But hopefully this means there'll be at least 2 comics on my table though so please look forward to it!

D.R.U.N.K. - it is coming!

2009-04-20T22:38:00.005+01:00

I hold in my hands something very special - the original copy of my first ever printed comic! Draft prints from my home computer don't count, this is the real deal and very shiny it is too.

Having received this I promptly ordered a full print run - only to the then discover a typo on the very first page! <;_;> It's slight so hopefully most people will miss it. Otherwise, this is a big step forward and I'm really excited!

Have also started taking steps to get a table sorted for the London Expo, so at least I should now have a comic to sell there! :-3

Generic update

2009-04-11T00:45:00.005+01:00

It's been a week without anything new, but may as well give an overall update as to what I'm up to:

- Japanofail is still ongoing, quite happily it seems. Up to page 8 so far which is faster than I originally intended, but uploading pages is strangely addictive so I'm struggling to help myself! ^_^

- Have sent D.R.U.N.K. off to a potential printer who seem like very nice people. Pending the proof and deciding on how many to get printed, this one is pretty much done and dusted! *squee!* How on Earth I'm going to get this into people's hands for them to read is something else entirely... o_o;

- D.R.U.N.K's pretty old now, but I'm actually nearing the end of a much newer comic. Have only just given it a name, but reckon it will be called 'Beholder of the Eye'. You heard it here first folks!

More news as and when it happens. :-)

Title announcement! - D.R.U.N.K.

2009-04-02T11:56:00.005+01:00

It's still miles away (pending launch: May Expo), but as I've no other news may as well talk about this. This will be the front cover to my self-publishing debut! Whoo-hoo! The majority of the work is around a year old so from my perspective it's kinda old, but I found it sitting on my computer a couple of months or so ago and decided to finish it off.

It's intended to be a comedy, so hopefully that means people will find it funny. Only time will tell when it's out I guess. Now all I need to do is get the pages arranged and find a printer...

I'll do some previews closer to the time, please look forward to it! :-3

In other news, my webcomic's still going ahead - it didn't die after the first one. Up to 4 pages now - and a few people have even left comments! Please feel free to have a look. Updates have been fairly regular, but reckon I'll try and slow the pace to one a week from now on: http://www.drunkduck.com/Japanofail/index.php

Here it is - genuine comic drawing!

2009-03-26T00:07:00.004Z

Much earlier than expected, I've started a webcomic called Japanofail (as opposed to Japanophile - see what I did there? >_> ) and is out there to be read by the world! Okay so it's only one strip so far, but I have quite a few ideas for this so should be able to keep it going for at least a few months. ^_^

Please read and enjoy!

http://www.drunkduck.com/Japanofail/

Suffering for my art!

2009-03-23T21:56:00.002Z

With nearly 9 months from having I barely touched a pencil, the last few weeks where I've suddenly been drawing every day have taken their toll as my body complains and crumbles under the work I demand of it.

I started out drawing by sitting on my bed which was surprisingly comforatble, but from slouching from being on a soft surface led to back pains. So: I got a chair.

The chair is fairly nice, but due to lack of space I am forced to sit at and angle that I fear is developing something equivalent to a trapped nerve in my neck... not a nice sensation as I feel the occassional zing.

Also my hand's started feeling funny, and after an epic 6-hour toning session last night, I looked at it and noticed it was swollen compared to the other one. Also my forearm was starting to cramp up as well.

Can I assume this is not a good sign? Maybe the slightly thicker nature of my Wacom pen isn't working well, or perhaps I just grip it too tightly, but I really don't want to develop a case of RSI when I've barely gotten started!

Any tips to relieve the situation is welcome, just don't tell me to stop drawing!

They are coming!

2009-03-20T21:35:00.000Z

Not much in the way of specific news, but I wanted to post to say what I'm currently up to with my drawing. Sorry there won't be any previews *yet* as there's no point showing stuff so far in advance, but seeing as it's what I'm spending all my free time on I still feel like talking about it.

There are currently 4 active projects in the pipeline that I've been working on, so here's a little info about each of the in order that they'll likely appear.

1 - This will be a (very) short work in 4-koma format (4 panel gag manga). There's not much else to say as it's so short any more info would spoil it, but the strip itself is done and I'm currently working on the logo. This will most likely be my printed debut, so will try and make an announcement at an appropriate time. ^_^

2 - A complete 23 page story. Again, the work itself it completely done, it's just a case of getting it organized properly. Around 90% of it was drawn early last year, with the finishing touches done last month so it's perhaps not my absolute best work to date, but it's quite fun and I hope people take to it in its own little way. I'm hoping to get this one ready for the London Expo - which would mark my self-published debut!

3 - Another comic, 24 pages long, and the first chapter to a longer story. Have probably worked on this one for arond 4 weeks now, and in that time all the pencils have been done, as has most of the inking. What's left are some final details, a few backgrounds (which will likely take most time) and all of the toning. I've working quite hard on this one, doing a couple of hours every day, so after having tried so hard I really hope people like it. I don't want to spend perhaps a couple of years working on something that everyone hates!

4 - I really enjoyed working on project '1' and the 4-koma format, so started mucking around with some ideas to do a bigger project. It's quite random and has a slightly more evil sense of humour in regards to otaku-based humour. I'm a little worried people won't get some of the reference-based jokes as they do require a bit of general know-how. I could test the theory out by starting it as a webcomic, but out of preference I'd rather it on a hardcopy book. Haven't figured out the length yet as the bitty nature of 4-Koma means the sky's the limit really. Probably around the 20-page mark. Work is ongoing between sessions on project 3, but in terms of idea and drafts I'd say about 75% of it is ready to be drawn properly.

Phew! That's a lot of info (did anyone even read this far? lol!), but it somehow lacks real substance without artwork previews! I'm actually quite nervous about this whole business, so only want to reveal info when I'm 'ready'.

Ok, to reward anyone who made it to the bottom of the post, I'll throw in a very early sketch for Project 2, it was actually the initial concept sketch in fact - it's really old now (getting on for 18 months)!

The proper announcements and revealing of secrets will come, I promise! ... just not today.

The blog has a new header!

2009-03-19T02:31:00.000Z

Only had this blog for 24 hours - time for another post then! Yay!

Had a dig though some old unfinished images and found one I kind of liked and BOOM, a header for the blog is born! Hadn't touched the image itself since 2007, it was only half coloured and full of weird curiosities in the layering (well, there weren't any! @_@;), so spent a few minutes filling some blank areas and working out how to resize it properly. Ok so I admit it was a bit of a rush job - but for now it serves its purpose to make this page just a little shinier. Not too confident in my colouring as I've mainly been focusing on my black and white work lately, but yeah let me know what you think! (Please be gentle lol!)

I'll try to resist doing daily posts from now on as things will quickly descend into pointlessness as I run out of things to say. Fingers crossed I can keep things interesting and hopefully have some fun on the way. I'll do my best in true shonen style, ganbarimasu! And now that's out of the way I'll try to never use romaji again...

Finally, if any peeps out there want to direct me to their own blogs of manga/comic drawing drop me a line. I've yet to really suss out how to find other people on here but it'd be nice to see what other people are doing!

And so it begins...

2009-03-18T00:36:00.000Z

Well, it's after midnight which is when I start to feel most social, so I decided to get myself a blog - ta daaaaa!

... ... ...

Now what? >_>;

Ok, introductions! I'm Ushio (not real name) from London, an anime/manga fanboy with a desire to draw some illustrations and comics in said style. I figure a blog will be a bit more productive than just sitting around doodling at home - must get stuff out into the real world!

I've been doodling on and off for a few years now, but life has been getting on my nerves lately so reckon it's about time to start taking the drawing more seriously in a feeble attempt to run away from it all. Not much work that I'm ready to show just this moment, but there is definitely some stuff in the pipeline (the next two months at least should be fairly active on here ^_^ ).

For now though, here's a fun thing I did that was introduced in a thread on the Sweatdrop forums (found here). You have to draw out a character in each of the listed styles. Didn't spend very long on it, but it was fun and produced some random results!

Think that's about it from me for now, will post again later when there's something new to say! I don't really know anyone, so feel free to comment and stuff. See you around! ^_~